whoever then acts aggressively against you...

whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict aggression upon him in the same way that he had inflicted it upon you”[2: 194]; and says: “Permission [to retaliate] is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely God is able to grant them victory”[22: 39]; God also says: “And if you retaliate, then do so in the same way that you were treated”[16: 126].

Question: If Islam is the religion of peace, then why did it consider fighting non-Muslims to be permissible and why did the Prophet of Islam fight them? Answer: All the battles of the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) are characterized by their having been defensive battles and not battles of aggression. He did not fight What is Islam? because he loved power for its own sake or because he wanted to acquire territory and colonize…